Rita Cincotta

It was the beginning of 2018. I had the big job, the growing family, and I was still searching. I thought I was doing it all wrong. Why did everything feel so distorted? I lacked confidence, I didn’t trust many of my work colleagues, and as it turned out, my instinct was correct. I was also beyond tired. It was the kind of exhaustion that even a week’s worth of sleep would not fix. I could not find energy. I was depleted, and no artificial source promising energy was working.

Greetings from the trampoline palace that is Bounce. I am not in some exotic destination, experiencing a European summer, a tropical getaway or an adventure-filled holiday (although navigating the car park at Bounce could qualify as quite the adventure)! Instead, I’m braving yet another set of school holidays while still trying to maintain some semblance of structure and routine.

Trust used to be a soft outcome. Something that emerged, slowly, from doing good work over a long time. In 2026, it has become a strategic asset, and one that most senior leaders are quietly running a deficit on.